Secret
by FacelessTwins
Summary: This is a one-shot that takes place during Northwest Mansion Mystery. Mabel was wondering around the mansion and ran into Preston. Contains: Mabel being cheerful, Preston acting like a human (not being a jerk or mean), piano playing, and Mabel and Preston bonding. Also, small reference to an anime.


**_Authors Note:_** **We decided it'd be best to put this in the beginning, just in case anyone has any questions. So, first off, this does not relate to our "I'm Worthless" story. It was just an idea that we thought of a little while after writing that story. If you haven't read our "I'm Worthless" story, we recommend it if you like this one. Second off, again, if you haven't read our "I'm Worthless" story, we would like to say that the reason Preston knows Stan is because they talk about business stuff, since Stan owns Northwest soil and all. And finally, if anyone asks, the reason Mabel calls Preston "Mr. Northwest" is because, one, it's adorable, and two, because she doesn't want to call him Preston for fear that it might ruin any chance of having a friendship with him. Well, we're all done taking up your time. Hope you enjoy the story!**

Mabel smiled, looking around at all the paintings that were hung on the walls _"Wow, this place sure is big,"_ she thought, her footsteps echoing off the walls.

Mabel had decided to wonder around the mansion, her curiosity getting the better of her. She had never been in Pacifica's mansion before and she didn't know if she'd ever get another chance, so she thought it would be a great idea to explore the place. After all, Dipper was off with Pacifica fighting off some ghost demon, Candy was stuck at the food table trying to figure out what topping to choose, and Mabel wasn't sure where Grenda ran off to, but she assumed that she was fine.

Mabel spotted a figure that was further down the hall. She squinted, trying to get a better look at them. Mabel let out a small gasp "It's Pacifica's dad, Mr. Northwest!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone. A wide grin spread across her face, exposing her braces "I better go introduce myself," she said, walking up to Preston.

Preston nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard a very excited voice yell "HI!" at the top of their lungs.

Preston looked in the direction of the voice to find Mabel Pines walking up to him. He raised an eyebrow, confused as to why she was here and not in the ball room where the party was being held. He was even more confused as to why Stan wasn't keeping an eye on her. As much as he enjoyed Stan's company (without ever saying it out loud, of course), he found that Stan could be very irresponsible when it came to looking after kids.

"Hello?" Preston asked.

Mabel smiled "Hi! I'm Mabel Pines!" she greeted "You must be Pacifica's dad!" she said, holding out her hand. Preston stared down at her hand before shifting his gaze to Mabel "Uh, yes. I am her father. Might I ask why you're wondering around here?" he asked. Mabel kept her hand in the air, waiting for Preston to shake it. Preston stood there for a brief moment, waiting for Mabel to put her hand down. As soon as he realized she wouldn't, he let out a small sigh "I assume you won't put your hand down until I shake it?" he asked. Mabel nodded "You assume correct!" she chirped. Preston bit back a smile and shook her hand "Persistent little one, you are," he hummed.

"I will take that as a complement," said Mabel, crossing her arms behind her back and rocking on her heels, her smile never leaving her face.

"You should. It's a good treat to have," said Preston "So, what are you doing wondering around the mansion?" he asked "Shouldn't you be in the ball room with everyone else?"

Mabel jumped up, as if she was trying to emphasize her point "I wanted to wonder around! Explore! It's so cool in here and I might never get a chance to be in here again," she explained.

Preston shifted his gaze. He was never good when dealing with children. Especially ones that weren't his "Ah, well, I suppose you should head back to the ball room. Wouldn't want to get lost wondering around these halls," he said. Preston had to deal with that on more than one occasion.

The halls were a maze. Even if you knew the layout decently, you would still somehow find yourself lost. It honestly made the place feel more empty. Preston hated it. Even with all the servants, chamber maids, and cooks, it still managed to feel… _Empty_ … _Bare_ … Like it was abandoned.

Mabel nodded in understanding "Alright, Mr. Northwest." She turned on her heels and began her walk back to the ball room. She waved goodbye "Have a nice night!" she said, a big grin on her face.

Preston couldn't hold back the smile anymore. He felt it tug at the corner of his lips and felt a warmness in his chest "Hm… I suppose Stan was right. She really is a bundle of joy and positivity that is extremely contagious," he mumbled. Preston turned to continue on his walk down the hall.

He passed multiple different doors before stopping at one. He pulled out a key from his pocket and stuck it in the lock. He twisted the key and placed his hand on the door knob, which was cold to the touch. He turned the knob and gently opened the door.

The air was dusty. Fresh flowers in many different bundles and vases were placed around the room in a lovely arrangement. Three tall windows lined the back wall and were covered by thick curtains, making the room dark. In the center of the room was a piano. Preston breathed in the scent of the room; it smelled nice; like fresh flowers with the right mixture of dust. Preston slowly let out a breath "It's been far too long…" he hummed.

Preston had learned how to play the piano from his mother. He had found joy in doing so, but his father strictly forbade him from going anywhere near the instrument; saying it was not a Northwest thing to do, that he should focus on finances instead.

Preston took a seat on the bench and brushed his fingertips lightly over the dusted keys.

He didn't like anyone coming in here, so he locked it up and made sure that no one came in. On occasion, he would swap out the flowers. But never, ever, did he lay a hand on the piano. He played very, (very, very, very) rarely; always able to ignore the urge tugging at the back of his mind. Today, somehow, he found the urge to strong to deny. Preston lightly pressed on the keys, making the instrument respond with beautiful tones.

"Oh, wow!"

Preston jumped, his hands slamming down on the keys, creating a very disgruntled and terrible sound that bounced off the walls. He turned his head to the source of the nose to find Mabel standing in the doorway. He had left the door open?! Preston cursed himself. He was so focused on the piano he forgot to close the door! Preston swallowed "Mabel, what are you doing here?" he asked, trying to sound stern and unmoved by her presence.

Mabel walked over to him, a skip in her step "Well, I couldn't find my way back to the ball room, so I went to come look for you. Then I heard beautiful music coming from in here and decided to investigate," she explained, staring at the piano "I didn't know you could play," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Preston blushed lightly, rubbing the back of his head "W-well… I don't play… Not so much anymore…" he said, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over him. This was his secret. A secret that he found made him all to self-conscious.

Mabel pouted "Aw, why not? You sounded so pretty," she said, looking up at Preston, who shifted his gaze to the piano "My… My father never liked it when I played… So, I stopped," he explained. To his surprise, Mabel let out an annoyed huff and crossed her arms "Well, your father is mean!" she said.

Preston stifled a chuckle at the face Mabel was making. She looked adorable when she was mad. She honestly reminded him of Stan when he was mad. Preston blinked, and mentally scowled at himself _"Stan's_ not _adorable!"_ a thought hissed at him _"But Mabel is. She looked like mother when she was upset,"_ another thought spoke up. Preston did his best to keep from shaking his head. As much as he wanted to clear his thoughts, he couldn't.

The frown Mabel had been wearing was quickly replaced with a wide smile "Could you play for me?" she asked, giving Preston puppy dog eyes. Preston's breath nearly caught in his throat "Y-you… Want me to play for you?" he asked. He felt stupid. He was asking a question that had already been answered, but he couldn't help it. It had been so long since he last played the piano. He probably wasn't even that good anymore.

Mabel clasped her hands together, sticking out her bottom lip and drawing out a "Please."

Preston sighed "I… I suppose I could play… For a little while," he said "But as soon as I'm done you must go back to the ball room." Preston blinked "A-and don't tell anyone else about this," he added. Mabel nodded her head excitedly "Okay!" she chirped, a wave of joy washing over her.

Preston scooted over to make room on the bench. Mabel got up on the bench and shifted around until she was in a comfortable position. Her gaze fell to the keys of the piano. Her eyes filled with wonder.

"Any requests?" Preston asked, a soft smile on his face as he looked down at Mabel.

Mabel tapped her chin in a thoughtful manner. She was going back through her previous years in choirs were she learned about music. A smile slipped onto her lips as she remembered a song from an anime she had watched a few years back. She looked up at Preston "Could you play 'Love's Sorrow?'" she asked.

Preston was a bit taken aback by what she said. He never took Mabel for a classical music lover, let alone someone who bothered to remember the names of the music pieces.

Preston nodded "Very well. 'Love's Sorrow' it is," he said. With that, he began to play. His fingers danced over the keys, making gorgeous sounds bounce off the walls in the room.

Mabel watched Preston's fingers glide over the keys with perfect precision, not missing a beat. Mabel listened intently at the way he was playing.

Once Preston was done, he breath in, a smile on his face.

Mabel smiled "That was so beautiful," she said, looking up at Preston. Preston smiled "Thank you," he said. Mabel slid off the bench "You should play more often, Mr. Northwest," she said. Preston stood up from the bench "No, I couldn't. I'm not as good as I used to be," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Mabel jumped up "Are you kidding?!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger at Preston "You were great! I could practically see the fall leaves swaying in the breeze," she said.

Preston raised an eyebrow "Huh?" he asked.

Mabel tilted her head, a small frown on her face "The way you played. Didn't you notice it?" she asked. Preston thought for a moment, then shook his head as a reply. He hadn't been paying much attention to how he played it. He was lost in the music. Mabel smiled "Your feelings. The way you played. It had to be from some sort of memory. From what I could tell it was a lovely memory," she said.

Preston swallowed.

His mother. He had thought about his mother when he was playing.

The day his mother had first introduced him to the piano, it had been the season of fall. The leaves blew in the crisp breeze. Preston could see them through one of the windows that had yet to be closed off by a curtain. It was beautiful. Oh, so beautiful.

Preston cleared his throat "Well, either way, we should head back to the ball room," he said. Mabel nodded and spun around on her heels, heading to the door "A promise is a promise," she chirped. Preston followed her, being sure to lock the door behind him.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he watched Mabel skip happily down the hall.

 _"Maybe I will play again,"_ he thought _"If it has such a positive effect… It couldn't hurt to play again…"_

Mabel gestured for Preston to follow her "Come on! I don't know where I'm goin', and you're lettin' me lead the way?" Mabel exclaimed, earning a chuckle from Preston.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," said Preston, catching up with Mabel.


End file.
